With all of the posts about buying bikes, Frame design etc etc lately it started me wondering how everyone would rank the factors that make for a “good” bike and bike fit. I left out price as a factor assuming the comparison would be at the same price point.
What percentage does each of the following make up for a properly operating, comfortable and fast bike, feel free to add factors you feel I left out?
Fit
Steep/Shallow
Road/Tri
Frame Material
Color & Cool Factor
650/700C
Frame design/Trusted brand or design
Numero Uno: it won’t break
Numero Dos: when you build it, all the parts fit, and work right
Numero Tres: when out of the saddle the tires don’t hit the chainstays
Numbero Quatro: the geometry makes “sense” and is rideable, regardless of whether it’s steep, shallow, road, tri, whatever
Numero Cinco: something from your list
Don’t assume that numeros 1, 2, 3 and 4 are going to be executed satisfactorily.
1)Without a good comfortable fit, everything else is moot. These are all parts of fit/comfort:(Steep/Shallow, Road/Tri, 650/700C ,Body type, flexibility, Intended use).
2)Assuming several equally comfortable bikes, next would be Frame design/Trusted brand or design and company reputation.
3)Assuming the above conditions then whichever one you like the look of as far as Frame Material/Color & Cool Factor.
“Are there many bikes currently made that don’t meet these criteria?”
thankfully, we’re in pretty good shape these days. but it wasn’t always the case. even today, tho, if you ask the wrenches who have to build these bikes up from bare frames, there would be a few models they’d say just don’t work.
Wow, that’s a scary thought…of the many bikes that fall under that category, are there issues that make a bike potentially unrideable or unsafe in any way? Or perhaps put another way, are there issues that compromise performance or fit that you cannot fix?
I know you’re not in a position to “name names” so to speak, but is it possible to elaborate without landing in hot water?
We have all seen the contest at races (every IM I have been to) “who has the lightest bike? winner gets a Zipp bottle cage or what ever” - someone will show up with a bike that has the lightest everything, drillium chain rings and on and on…sorry, those bikes never ride well. Been on a 12lbs Scott…even the owner admitted the shifting was poor.
I will take my Grouppo clean thanks…sure there is a lighter this or that…I like mine to work thanks.
No matter what bike you get Matt it will be a good bike, it is getting a bike that is good for you - and how many CM a tube is will not tell you that. I can take copper pipes from home depot and match that spec…how good of a bike will that make? There are butting, forming, and shaping of the tubes that will also alter how a bike rides. They dont put that on the chart…I still love the Italian folks who put “proprietory” as their head tube angle.